Zimpapers Logo

The audit report for 2014 on the Basic Education Assistance Module by the Auditor-General clearly demonstrates that incompetent individuals are heading some of our schools and other important institutions.

The report says $2 041 366 of the $45 million pledged by donors remained unused due to bungling by school administrators.

Some did not submit requests for assistance claim forms while the Project Management Unit and some schools did not make follow ups to rectify errors on school names and account numbers that had resulted in rejection of their papers by the paying banks.

According to the report, the money that was unused and left with the donors between 2009 and 2010 would have benefited 45 000 rural children over those two years.

In addition, some children who are not underprivileged benefited from the system. In addition to the corruption and sheer inefficiency displayed by the school heads, the Ministry of Labour and Social Services which oversees BEAM projects was equally negligent.

The PMU did not exercise due diligence in making sure that all schools submitted attendance registers for the terms that had been paid for before disbursing the next round of moneys.

So heads could have continued to claim for children who were no longer in school while those still attending and in need of assistance were left out in the cold.

It is a fact that poverty is pushing vulnerable children out of school against the Government’s policy of education for all.

The contentious issue of what to do with children whose parents or guardians are in school fees arrears has never been fully resolved to the satisfaction of all.

The Government stance is that no child should be turned away for unpaid fees while school administrators would not want to promote a culture of non-payment of fees.

In the end, it is the child who pays the price. For even at this time when our education system is under fire for being too academic and ill-equipped to produce innovative citizens who can carve their own niches in the world, it still gives everyone the best platform for future success.

Only broad based meritocracy can break the cycles of poverty that some disadvantaged citizens are mired in and basic education is the best way for that.

Most of the so-called uneducated rich people in the country and the world have had the advantage of that basic education to gain literacy. Against such a background the denial of assistance to those who need it most through sheer incompetence of office holders is a tragedy. These people are in the wrong professions. These are not jobs to be done in any offhand manner, but vocations to be taken up by people who appreciate that their very actions have a direct impact on lives somewhere.

In this case, how many thousands of young lives have been denied hope for the future because some people chose to treat their basic need for education in such a cavalier manner?

What percentage have these uncaring bureaucrats contributed to the high school dropout rate?

In a previous comment we have highlighted the need to make follow-ups on the highly pertinent issues that the Auditor-General’s reports have been bringing to light.

This is one such case where we feel that swift action by the relevant authorities to investigate and punish the individuals concerned cannot happen too quickly.

We pray that the report will not be swept under the carpet while the same uncaring people continue to preside over the death of our nation, for if the children are our future, people who deny them hope and progress are killing the country.